‘Families First' Bill Signifies Change in Fla.

Florida is a diverse state with a generally conservative political leadership.But there were signs this week of a major cultural shift under way as it pertains to same-sex couples.

By LLOYD DUNKELBERGERTHE LEDGER

Florida is a diverse state with a generally conservative political leadership.But there were signs this week of a major cultural shift under way as it pertains to same-sex couples.First, the state Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs passed the "Families First" bill (SB 196) — sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood — that creates a statewide domestic partnership-registry. It would establish rights for unmarried couples, including hospital visitation, correctional-facility visitation, end-of-life decisions and burial arrangements.The bill passed on a 5-4 vote, marking the first official action by the state Legislature in endorsing legal protections for same-sex couples. Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, played a pivotal role in its passage. It is highly unlikely the legislation will advance much further in the session — nonetheless it is an important legislative milestone.Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, a group that advocates on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians, said the bipartisan vote represented a "new day in Florida.""This is a reflection of the change in public opinion favoring legal equality for all Florida couples," Smith said. "Our political leaders are finally listening to the pain inflicted on couples who are treated as legal strangers. And they are listening to the growing voice of business leaders who are calling for statewide protections that will help them attract and retain a diverse workforce."Although the Florida constitution bans same-sex marriages — as part of a 2008 amendment endorsed by a large majority of Florida voters — advocates for the domestic partnership legislation said it is a reflection of a growing trend of communities and businesses in the state that are treating same-sex and opposite-sex couples in an equal manner.Equality Florida says a majority of Floridians now live in communities that have a domestic partnership registry, since most of the state's largest communities — including Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange and Pinellas counties — have local ordinances. Locally, Sarasota and Venice have registries.The idea behind the statewide registry is that it would eliminate the "patchwork" approach and offering the legal protections statewide."More and more localities across the state are creating DPRs at the local level, but a statewide effort like the one the Families First bill creates, would do much more to strengthen Florida's families," said Daniel Tilley, the ACLU of Florida's LGBT policy strategist.But with opposition from conservative groups who say the measure could undermine traditional marriages, approval of a statewide domestic partnership registry may still be more than a few years away.Meanwhile, in another sign of the shifting attitudes, newly re-elected U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, announced he was changing his position to support gay marriages.In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, Nelson said the American society was founded on the concept of equality for all."The civil rights and responsibilities for one must pertain to all. Thus, to discriminate against one class and not another is wrong for me," Nelson said. "Simply put, if the Lord made homosexuals as well as heterosexuals, why should I discriminate against their civil marriage? I shouldn't and I won't."Equality Florida's Smith said Nelson "listened to the voices of Floridians and to his own conscience" in changing his long-held position."His voice matters a great deal and his evolution on equality is a roadmap for others to understand that it is wrong to inflict financial burdens and to impose the indignity of second-class citizenship on our families," Smith said.

WINNER OF THE WEEKCanadians. Gov. Rick Scott signed the first bill of the 2013 Legislature into law, eliminating a 2012 law that required Canadians and other foreign visitors to obtain an international driving permit before operating a vehicle on state roads.

LOSER OF THE WEEKArcade owners. The entertainment centers were swept up in a legislative ban against Internet cafés in the wake of a criminal investigation of illegal gambling, fraud and money laundering. The arcade owners argued unsuccessfully that their gaming devices, which were not involved in the investigation, should not be part of the prohibition of gambling at the Internet cafés.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK"And so the eyeball wars have ended," said Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, as lawmakers reached agreement on a multiyear fight that pitted the ophthalmologists against the optometrists.